. >> reporter: while wisconsin native paul ryan tops the republican ticket with mitt romney, the economy was more important to the voters we spoke to than badger state pride. >> right now, i'm unemployed, so whoever is going to make it better, i'm all for that. >> reporter: in september, the unemployment rate in wisconsin was 7.3%; when president obama was elected in 2008, the state's unemployment rate was 5.9%. while the state has added only 4,100 jobs from january through september of this year, the improving national employment numbers appear to be working in the president's favor. >> in the beginning of the year, only one in five voters said that the economy has gotten better in the past year. in the most recent poll, that number has increased to one in three, saying the outlook is looking better for the state. >> reporter: and that appears to be the perception that many voters here had. >> i think the economy is starting to get better as we go along here. >> i think jobs are now opening, you know, a lot of jobs are offering help now, and before they never did. >> reporter: and voter